IESA Headlines

Two Records Set Saturday in Seventh Grade State Track Meet

EAST PEORIA - Two records were set Saturday in the IESA Seventh Grade State Final Track and Field Meet at EastSide Centre.

In the seventh grade boys, Alex Rabe of Cissna Park set a record in the semifinal round of the 110-meter hurdles, winning in a time of :16.41. His time of :16.52 in the finals also bested the old Class 7A boys record of :16.56 set by Kam Mason of Fisher in 2005.

In eighth grade girls, the Lexington 4 x 400-meter relay team of Caitlin Kelley, Taylor Winterland, Sydney Freed and Kaley Ummel broke the record by nearly two seconds. They ran a 4:19.44 to better the old mark of 4:22.19 set by Kewanee Wethersfield in 2007. Freed stormed in front in the third leg and gave the baton to Ummel with nearly a 20-meter lead. Ummel, who won the 800-meter run earlier in the day and the 1600-meter run Friday, blistered the track to anchor the record.

In eighth grade boys, Johathan Hutchinson of Peoria Christian set the 100-meter record with a time of :11.50 in the semifinals Friday and came back with a winning time of :11.82 in the finals Saturday. The old record was :11.53 set by Jase Wilson of Heyworth in 2006.

The meet was described by the licensed officials and volunteers who worked it as the meet with the most sportsmanship and good will toward fellow competitors in all the years the competition has been conducted at the EastSide Centre. The athletes were commended by the meet officials for the cooperative manner in which they participated.

Assumption Central A&M and Normal Epiphany tied for the seventh grade girls team title with 36 points. Carthage was third with 32. Mt. Pulaski took home 4th place honors with 30 points.

Villa Grove won the seventh grade boys team title with 30 points. Kewanee Wethersfield was second at 28 and Girard finished third with 27. There was tie for fourth place between Elmwood and Rock Falls St. Andrew each with 26 points.

Altamont won the eighth grade girls title with 54 points. Lexington was second at 44 and Arlington Hts. Our Lady of the Wayside finished third at 34 while Mason City Illini Central captured fourth place with 25 points.

Carthage and Peoria Christian tied for first in the eighth grade boys with 28 points. Third was Joliet Laraway at 26 and Hartsburg-Emden was fourth with 20 points.

Several athletes had standout days:

Jessica Awe of Mt. Pulaski, who won the seventh grade girls long jump Friday, came back to win both the 100 and 200-meter dashes Saturday. She won the 100 in a time of :13.35 and the 200 in a time of :27.23.

In seventh grade boys, Villa Grove's Ryan Pearce, who won the discus Friday, came back Saturday to win the shot put with a toss of 43-7 and the 200-meter dash in a time of :25.47.

Lexington's Kaley Ummel won the 800-meter run Saturday in a time of 2:22.61 after winning the 1600-meter run Friday in eighth grade girls competition.

In eighth grade boys, Cody Bolen of Hartsburg-Emden won the shot put with a toss of 52-2.50 and the discus with a throw of 144-7.